James Bond may seem like one of the least likely franchises to be adapted into a children's TV show, but the 1990s TV show James Bond Jr.
tried unsuccessfully to do so. THE 007 franchise has 25 officers James Bond films and video games based on James Bond movies, but no official TV shows yet. Fall from the sky established that James Bond had no living family, which is now considered canon for the franchise. However, James Bond Jr. was released in 1994 and its plot followed the daring adventures of a spy relative of James Bond.
How the Connection films, James Bond Jr. was developed by Eon Productions, but was so poorly received that the company quickly attempted to distance itself from the show. The least rated 007 film, A vision for a death, received just 36% on Rotten Tomatoes, and James Bond Jr.. it is widely considered even more of a failure. Many reasons for this failure have been suggested, with some analyzes suggesting that adult themes in 007 are generally inappropriate for a children's show. Still, many children's TV shows are darker than expected, and James Bond Jr. was not one of them.
James Bond Jr. was an animated TV series from the 90s
Some of James Bond's iconic villains appear in James Bond Jr.
James Bond writer Kevin McClory tried to develop an animated[...] 007 TV series in the 1980s, but it was never made. Then, in 1991, the animated film James Bond Jr. was released, becoming the only TV series based directly on the James Bond franchise. James Bond Jr. follows Bond's nephewwho goes to school with other famous relatives James Bond franchise characters. These include "IQ"grandson of Q, and Gordo Leiter, son of Bond's best friend, Felix Leiter. The series lacks the intensity of 007 films, with more cartoonish action scenes and significant changes to Bond villains.
James Bond Jr. features some familiar villains from 007 franchisebut most look extremely different from their film counterparts. "Jaws"is one of the most iconic Connection villains, and although he is the main antagonist of the James Bond Jr. series, he's more of a comedic henchman. Oddjob also appears, having traded his deadly bowler hat for a mini top hat. Meanwhile, a fan theory suggests that the series' biggest villain, Scumlord, is Blofeld in disguise. Furthermore, one of the James Bond Jr.The most drastic changes were to Dr. No, who has green skin in the show.
Why James Bond Jr. Didn't Work
James Bond never appeared in James Bond Jr.
James Bond Jr. followed a trend in which existing programs were presented "suitable for children"versionsincluding doll babies and THE Flintstone Children. However, the source material for each was a little more kid-friendly than James Bondwhich includes violence and danger in all films. Many reviewers felt that James Bond was the wrong choice for an adaptation, and so many things about the James Bond franchise has not aged well, this is a valid observation. Even the show's title was scrutinized, with "Junior"being a commonly used suffix for a son, not a nephew.
Furthermore, when James Bond Jr. first shown, there were plans for an appearance by James Bond himself. However, by this time, there were legal issues regarding Eon Productions and the rights of the James Bond franchise. This meant that the company had to keep its distance from Bond and, by extension, James Bond Jr. As Timothy Dalton was playing James Bond at the time the show aired, he would likely have voiced Bond in the series. Unfortunately, although characters frequently talk about him in the series, James Bond did not appear in James Bond Jr..
shows how difficult it can be to expand the title franchise
An ongoing James Bond series aimed at kids is unlikely to work
To successfully expand the Bond franchise, there must be a certain level of agreement on what is canon for James Bond. Introducing a nephew to a character confirmed as an only child (even before Fall from the sky) was James Bond Jr.first big mistake. Another was changing the characters until they felt like a parody rather than a spin-off. The best James Bond franchise expansions were drawn on canon materiallike the huge success GoldenEye 007 video game. The failure of James Bond Jr. after major changes to the source material highlights how difficult it is to expand the franchise.
Many critics feel that a James Bond A TV show would never work, even if it was aimed at an adult audience. One of the franchise's defining features is that the Bond actor changes every few years, which wouldn't work for a children's show where the main characters generally stay the same. Another issue is that James Bond is virtually inseparable from violence, danger, and his many love interests. Without these characteristics, suitable for children James Bond series is just another spy show. Since there are already so many spy-themed children's shows, it's unlikely there will be a demand for another James Bond Jr.